Real Salt Lake vs Portland Timbers Odds & Pick – MLS Cup Playoffs Round 1

• Real Salt Lake ride a two-match win streak into their first-round clash with Portland as +111 favorites
• After struggling through lengthy home stand, Timbers visit Salt Lake as +215 underdogs
• Timbers have dominated Real, posting wins in five straight meetings

Real Salt Lake will be aiming to advance past the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2013 when they play host to the Portland Timbers on Saturday as +111 home favorites.

Real Salt Lake vs Portland Timbers Odds

*Odds taken 10/16/19

Real Rides Win Streak into MLS Playoffs

The club closed out their MLS regular-season schedule with consecutive wins, capped by a narrow 1-0 victory in Vancouver on MLS Decision Day, securing third-place in the MLS Western Conference standings and setting the stage for Saturday night’s matchup at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The turnaround has been timely for Real, who were at risk of losing home-field advantage in the first round during a recent 1-3-1 run. But while the club has risen to the occasion against opponents that reside near the bottom of the standings, they have struggled against playoff-bound opponents, earning just a single point over their past five contests, including a 1-0 loss in Portland back on August 31.

Goal Production, Consistency Remain Concerns

And while Salt Lake is enjoying its first two-match win streak since mid-August, offensive production remains a concern for the club, with Real shooters potting more than a single goal just once over their past nine contests, and just eight total markers during that stretch.

Real Salt Lake vs Portland Timbers Stats

Consistency has also eluded Real on home turf. The Claret and Cobalt racked up 12 wins at Rio Tinto Stadium this season, second-most in the Western Conference, but have lost outright in two of their past five, with both defeats coming against playoff-bound opponents in Los Angeles FC and LA Galaxy.

Timbers Fail to Cash in on Lengthy Home Stand

The Timbers ride a four-match unbeaten streak into Saturday night’s contest as +215 underdogs. But while Portland has managed to regularly pick up points at home of late, they have been far from dominant.

Forced to endure an epic 12-match road trip to open the MLS season due to ongoing work on an expansion to their home field at Providence Park, the Timbers failed to capitalize on a 12-match run to end the schedule that featured 11 home contests, compiling a middling 3-4-3 record over their final ten outings, while being held off the scoresheet on four occasions.

Portland Has Owned Real in Recent Meetings

The road has been no kinder to the Timbers. Winless in their first six road dates of the season, the club also struggled down the stretch, posting just three victories in their final eight road matches. However, Portland has dominate Real in recent meetings, collecting wins in five straight matchups across all competitions, while outscoring Salt Lake by a 13-2 margin.

.@TimbersFC made it in on #DecisionDay and now meet @realsaltlake in the Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs. Who moves on? pic.twitter.com/jD8aVKpVmJ

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 11, 2019

And with the experience of last season’s march to the MLS Cup Final to build on, the Timbers are well-positioned to narrowly escape with the win on Saturday, and advance past the first round for a fifth time in as many playoff appearances.

Picks: Draw (+245), Under 3.0 (+111)